Join the search to examine reports of unidentified and misplaced creatures-known as cryptids-throughout the Mountain State, from its earliest history to present day. Included are such famous unknowns as Bigfoot; Mothman, harbinger of disaster; giant birds and snakes unrecognized by modern science; anomalous huge human remains unearthed statewide since the 19th century; extinct cougars that refuse to die; animals alien to North America, including lions, tigers, black panthers, kangaroos, and piranha; the ferocious Dogman and woolly, horned Sheepsquatch; freshwater cephalopods; and other creatures that defy classification. Wherever you reside or visit in West Virginia, phantom cryptids have been seen near your location-terrifying witnesses, baffling investigators, and monsters sometimes leave evidence behind to mark their passing through our world. Happy hunting!

Journey with cryptozoologist Michael Newton as he seeks Bigfoot in North America. BHMs ("Big Hairy Monsters") have been called Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Oh-Mah, Skookum, Momo, Skunk Ape, and more throughout history, and the quest for these elusive beings has been reported and pursued from time immemorial. Read seven classic cases that put Bigfoot "on the map" and established the riddle of its existence in public consciousness. Then wander through 47 states and 6 Canadian provinces where there have been sightings since the year 2000. Meet Bigfoot hunters and learn methods employed in ongoing quests. Examine details of the debate considering whether Bigfoot should be killed (to prove the species exists) or if conclusive evidence may be obtained by other means. Discover physical evidence for Bigfoot's existence, ranging from footprints to DNA sampling. Read about hoaxes and the creature's portrayal in modern media and advertising.

With "Bigfoot", Joshua Blu Buhs traces the wild and wooly story of America's favorite homegrown monster. He begins with nineteenth-century accounts of wildmen roaming the forests of America, treks to the Himalayas to reckon with the Abominable Snowman, then takes us to northern California in 1958, when reports of a hairy hominid loping through remote woodlands marked Bigfoot's emergence as a modern marvel. Throughout, Buhs delves deeply into the trove of lore that has sprung up around Bigfoot in the ensuing half century. We meet charlatans, pseudo-scientists, and dedicated hunters of the beast - and with Buhs as our guide, the focus is always less on evaluating their claims than on understanding why Bigfoot has inspired all this drama and devotion in the first place. Writing with a scientist's skepticism but an enthusiast's deep engagement, Buhs invests the story of Bigfoot with the detail and power of a novel, offering the definitive take on this elusive beast.

Meet California's legendary monsters in this guided tour, from the sea, where life began, to the Golden State's scenic lakes, majestic mountains, brooding forests, and rumored "alien tunnels" beneath the streets of Los Angeles. Cower beneath a giant vulture with a wingspan of 25 feet in San Bernadino County. See a 30-foot-long flying/slithering serpent/bird in Riverside County that matched the speed of a train. Tour the lost underground city connecting L.A. to Santa Monica Bay, where lizard people were dropped off by a prehistoric meteor shower. Unknown creatures may appear at any time, to startle, frighten, and in some cases devour unwary humans. While Bigfoot is known to many, California's other strange creatures giant birds and reptiles, lizard men, winged apes, man-sized fish, and salamanderswill surprise and fascinate you.

How did it happen that whole regions of Latin America-Amazonia, Patagonia, the Caribbean-are named for monstrous races of women warriors, big-footed giants and cannibals? Through history, monsters inhabit human imaginings of discovery and creation, and also degeneration, chaos, and death. Latin America's most dynamic monsters can be traced to archetypes that are found in virtually all of the world's sacred traditions, but only in Latin America did Amazons, cannibals, zombies, and other monsters become enduring symbols of regional history, character, and identity. From Amazons to Zombies presents a comprehensive account of the qualities of monstrosity, the ways in which monsters function within and among cultures, and theories and genres of the monstrous. It describes the genesis and evolution of monsters in the construction and representation of Latin America from the Ancient world and early modern Iberia to the present.

The British Isles has a remarkable association with vampires - chilling supernatural creatures of the night. From the nineteenth-century writings of John Polidori, James Rymer, Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker, to the modern literary horrors of Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley and Kim Newman, the vampire casts a strange and compelling shadow that spreads from the realms of fantasy into the world of the living. Here you will find vampire murderers and vampire hunters together with the real-life mysteries of Croglin Grange, Alnwick Castle, the Vampire of the Villas, the Yorkshire Vampire and the enduring phenomenon of London's famous Highgate Vampire. In this thought-provoking book, illustrated with never before seen photographs and drawing on extensive original research, writer and paranormal historian Paul Adams explores the fascinating history of British vampirism in both fact and fiction. With extensive chapters on the post-war revival of Gothic cinema horror and the influence of cult studio Hammer Films on the vampire in British television and music, here is a modern guide where every page is truly written in blood ...

This true story of Texas millionaire Tom Slick's quest for the Abominable Snowman and other cryptids--creatures unknown to science--reveals a life made for the movies. Fascinating stories of Slick's early brushes with adventure such as his stepfather's abduction by George "Machine Gun" Kelly in 1933 and his creation of a research facility near Loch Ness are followed by his later expeditions into Nepal and the Pacific Northwest in search of the yeti and its counterpart, the Sasquatch. The story of Slick's amazing, fanatic, and driven search for the stuff of legends takes readers on a whirlwind journey from the dense temperate rainforests of Washington State to the icy peaks of the Himalayas--and shows that sometimes cryptids leave the halls of the imagination and are found and captured, as proved by the giant panda and the Komodo dragon, leaving readers to wonder what more there is to be discovered.

Bela Lugosi may -- as the eighties gothic rock band Bauhaus sang -- be dead, but the vampire lives on. A nightmarish figure dwelling somewhere between genuine terror and high camp, a morbid repository for the psychic projections of diverse cultures, an endlessly recyclable mass-media icon, the vampire is an enduring object of fascination, fear, ridicule, and reverence. In The Vampire Lectures, Laurence A. Rickels sifts through the rich mythology of vampirism, from medieval folklore to Marilyn Manson, to explore the profound and unconscious appeal of the undead.

Based on the course Rickels has taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for several years (a course that is itself a cult phenomenon on campus), The Vampire Lectures reflects Rickels's unique lecture style and provides a lively history of vampirism in legend, literature, and film. Rickels unearths a trove that includes eyewitness accounts of vampire attacks; burial rituals and sexual taboos devised to keep vampirism at bay; Hungarian countess Elisabeth Bathory's use of girls' blood in her sadistic beauty regimen; Bram Stoker's Dracula, with its turn-of-the-century media technologies; F. W. Murnau's haunting Nosferatu; and crude, though intense, straight-to-video horror films such as Subspecies. He makes intuitive, often unexpected connections among these sometimes wildly disparate sources.

More than simply a compilation of vampire lore, however, The Vampire Lectures makes an original and intellectually rigorous contribution to literary and psychoanalytic theory, identifying the subconscious meanings, complex symbolism, and philosophical arguments -- particularly those of Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche -- embeddedin vampirism and gothic literature.

Early reports in British Columbia were the first to call attention to the possible existence of sasquatch, and such reports have persisted for over two hundred years. This work covers the earliest history of the province to the present day, and draws upon the findings of all major sasquatch researchers in British Columbia and information reported in the press and other media. It also includes important sasquatch-related events that involved BC researchers and their quest to resolve the phenomenon. Several of the great pioneers in the field of sasquatch studies have now passed away. Who they were and their legacy have been provided as both a tribute and a historical reference. This work is intended to be a major reference for the history of the sasquatch in British Columbia. However, it is also a fascinating read for those simply interested in the subject.

With 250 entries, this updated filmography and resource is the encyclopedic guide to all things lycanthropic and a fascinating compendium of comparative mythology and folklore. Delving into the 15th century to uncover the origins of the werewolf legend, it is an eye-opening, blood-pounding tour through the ages, landing on the doorstep of creatures like hirsute mass-murderer Albert Fish, Michael Lupo (Lupo is "wolf" in Italian), and Fritz Haarman who slaughtered and ate his victims-selling the leftovers as steaks and roasts in his butcher shop. The photos and drawings provide hair-raising evidence of strange and obsessional behavior through the centuries, and a helpful chronology of lycanthropic activities dates back 140,000 years to the first mixing of human and lupine blood. Werewolf hunters of all ages will appreciate the detailed section on slaying the beast, while potential victims will find the information on detecting and warding away the occasional wayward wolfman more to their immediate liking--if not need.

Death and immortality, sexual prowess and surrender, intimacy and alienation, rebellion and temptation. The allure of the vampire is eternal. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, 3rd edition, explores the historical, literary, mythological, biographical, and popular aspects of one of the world's most mesmerizing paranormal subject. This vast reference is an alphabetical tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the soul-sucking undead.This exhaustive guide has more than 400 essays to quench your thirst for facts, biographies, definitions, and more.

Featuring 30 chilling stories of real-life zombie encounters, this comprehensive and unsettling study draws upon traditions found throughout the world to dispel common depictions of zombies as lurching, flesh-eating automatons made popular by countless movies and books. This fascinating collection includes the stories of the Devil Baby of Bourbon Street, a monstrous creature complete with horns and tail that still lurks in the shadows of the Big Easy; Black Mama Courteaux and the great zombie war, involving hundreds of zombie soldiers battling for the supremacy of their queen; and the swamp child of Mama Cree, who still roams the bayous of Louisiana. In addition to the stories, a variety of zombie-related facts are explored, including ceremonies and initiations, zombies throughout history, sacred zombie and voodoo-related sites, and zombies and monsters of the Bible.

" While vampire stories have been part of popular culture since the beginning of the nineteenth century, it has been in recent decades that they have become a central part of American culture. Vampire Legends in Contemporary American Culture looks at how vampire stories -- from Bram Stoker's Dracula to Blacula, from Bela Lugosi's films to Love at First Bite -- have become part of our ongoing debate about what it means to be human. William Patrick Day looks at how writers and filmmakers as diverse as Anne Rice and Andy Warhol present the vampire as an archetype of human identity, as well as how many post-modern vampire stories reflect our fear and attraction to stories of addiction and violence. He argues that contemporary stories use the character of Dracula to explore modern values, and that stories of vampire slayers, such as the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, integrate current feminist ideas and the image of the Vietnam veteran into a new heroic version of the vampire story.

For centuries, eyewitnesses around the world -- from America to Africa, Argentina to Scotland -- have reported sightings of dark, mysterious creatures in area lakes that surface briefly, only to quickly disappear. While the most famous lake monsters of Loch Ness and Lake Champlain have gained international notoriety, hundreds of lakes around the world are said to shelter these shadowy creatures. Lake Monster Mysteries is the first book to examine these widespread mysteries from a scientific perspective. By using exhaustive research and results from firsthand investigations to help separate truth from myth, the authors foster our understanding of what really lurks in the cold, murky depths. Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell are considered to be among the top lake monster authorities in the world. Here they share unique insights into many of the world's best-known lake monsters. They interview witnesses and local experts and discuss the different types of lake monster sightings, delve into possible explanations for those sightings, and examine hoaxes, evidence claims, and legends surrounding the monsters. The authors have also conducted groundbreaking fieldwork and experiments at the lakes and have examined recent photographic and sonar evidence. Incorporating newly-revealed information and up-to-date developments in the cases they present, professional monster hunters Radford and Nickell plunge into both the cultural histories of these creatures and the scientific inquiries that may hold the key to these mysteries.

Wherever vampires existed in the imaginations of different peoples, they adapted themselves to the customs of the local culture. As a result, vampire lore is extremely diverse. So too, representations of the vampire in creative works have been marked by much originality. In "The Vampyre" (1819), John Polidori introduced Lord Ruthven and established the vampire craze of the 19th century that resulted in a flood of German vampire poetry, French vampire drama, and British vampire fiction. This tradition culminated in Bram Stoker's "Dracula" (1897), which fixed the character of the Transylvanian nobleman as the archetypal vampire firmly in the public imagination. Numerous films drew from Stoker's novel to varying degrees, with each emphasizing different elements of his vampire character. And more recent writers have created works in which vampirism is used to explore contemporary social concerns.

The contributors to this volume discuss representations of the vampire in fiction, folklore, film, and popular culture. The first section includes chapters on Stoker and his works, with attention to such figures as Oscar Wilde and Edvard Munch. The second section explores the vampire in film and popular culture from Bela Lugosi to "Blacula." The volume then looks at such modern writers as Anne Rice and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro who have adapted the vampire legend to meet their artistic needs. A final section studies contemporary issues, such as vampirism as a metaphor for AIDS in ""Killing Zoe."

Was it merely an Indian legend told to early explorers, a story characteristic of the native's mythical culture? Or, were the stories of giant hairy man-like apes actual reports of an animal that has managed to mystify its researchers and elude western civilisation for nearly 300 years. This title concentrates on 23 sightings in Alberta and British Columbia.

Since 1968's "Night of the Living Dead," zombie culture has steadily limped and clawed its way into the center of popular culture. Today, zombies and vampires have taken over TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and movies. "Zombies, Vampires, and Philosophy" drags the theories of famous philosophers like Socrates and Descartes into the territory of the undead, exploring questions like: Why do vampires and vegetarians share a similar worldview? Why is understanding zombies the key to health care reform? And what does "healthy in mind and body" mean for vampires and zombies? Answers to these questions and more await readers brave enough to make this fun, philosophical foray into the undead.

A common sense approach to the investigating ghostly happenings, including apparitions, hauntings and poltergeists. Covers the investigative process from the initial call and assessment to the on-site investigative techniques and technology. Deals with how to come up with solutions and resolutions--ways to get "rid" of the phenomena. Discusses fraudulent cases and looks at other non-ghostly with paranormal explanations. Includes use of technology and the use of psychics in paranormal investigations and if anyone can prove the existence of ghosts. Finally, the book covers information resources and organizations that the new ghost-hunter and the person who encounters a ghost can find to learn more about the subject and for help with cases they're investigating or phenomena they're experiencing.

Dragons have captured the imagination of artists for aeons and feature in the earliest myths, on the armour of medieval knights, as well as in today's popular culture. In this new and improved third edition, dragon aficionado and artist Lora Irish shares tips and techniques for creating your own fantastic renderings of man's favorite foe. Updated for this edition: brand new art for both Eastern and Western dragons, a new gallery, sections on dragon history, lore, and anatomy, and a newly added section on transfer instructions for all applications, including fabric, wood, canvas, and other materials.

USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear brings another sexy, fast-paced werewolf romance to the snowy mountains of Silver Town, Colorado, just in time for the holidays. It's almost Christmas, and Florida gray wolf shifter and veterinarian Gabrielle Lowe has grudgingly agreed to go with her friends to a ski resort in Silver Town, Colorado. But when her two jaguar shifter girlfriends are held up on a mission, it not only leaves Gabrielle alone for the holidays, but also out of her element at the snowy resort. Determined to make the best of it, Gabrielle takes a dip in the lodge's heated pool after it's closed, causing all kinds of trouble… Gray wolf shifter Landon Wolff, co-owner of the ski lodge, has enough on his plate getting ready for the annual influx of Christmas visitors. The last thing he needs is someone indulging in a midnight swim long after the pool is closed. Just as he's about to throw the rule breaker out of the pool he realizes that she is also a wolf. Suddenly, all the rules change… Maybe Landon will finally find the she-wolf he's always wanted to share the holidays with. Praise for Terry Spear's shifters: "Danger, intrigue, shifters and Christmas—the perfect read!"—Fresh Fiction for Joy to the Wolves "Plenty of exciting action, suspense and steamy passion."—The Romance Reviews for SEAL Wolf Hunting "Filled with fun, adventure, intensity, and crazy-hot shifters."—Once Upon a Romance for Jaguar Pride

Now safely back at home, Ian and Lilli are free to return to normal life. Except there's a major problem: Ian keeps seeing the big bad boss dragon Atreus everywhere, and he can't tell whether it's real or in his imagination. So the internet is no longer an option. That's right. Ian, king of online gaming, is out on the soccer court instead. When Atreus shows up . . . everywhere, he knows he needs his sister. But he's legally obligated to never say Dra-er, the name of the game, so how is he supposed to ask for help? When Ian and Lilli finally sign back online, it's clear that Atreus has truly been released on the open web-and even worse, Ikumi has been kidnapped and imprisoned in a video game. It's back into virtual reality, but this time it's to Mech Ops, a futuristic world of zombies and evil robots-and the game's not even finished. Will Ian and Lilli have what it takes to jump through unfinished levels undetected? Or will they get booted . . . and even worse, are there do-overs in VR that isn't even built yet?

Discover the Science of (not so) Imaginary Creatures "The sheer depth of material covered in its pages is amazing"...." Fortean Times Magazine #1 Bestseller in the Occult and Unexplained Mysteries This is a book about monsters. From an early age we are taught that monsters do not exist. The reality is that monsters walk the earth today. Explore the world through its most unlikely creatures. Cryptozoology, the study of hidden, monstrous, and legendary animals, is truly the art of discovering the unknown. Richard Freeman, Zoological Director of Centre for Fortean Zoology, has explored the corners of the five continents on the search for creatures that many people believe are non-existent. In this book, he shares the exciting stories of his investigations of the Yeti, Mongolian Deathworm, Loch Ness Monster, Orang-Pendak, Ninki-Naka, and more. The line between myth and reality may be more narrow than you think. Cryptozoologists throughout the years have studied unknown species of reptiles, lake and sea creatures, apes, and hominins. The science and history of this field of study includes examples of creatures that were once thought to be mythological, but that have since been proven to exist. Our monsters and ourselves. The history of fabulous beasts and our searches for them is a history of the cultures of the world and the secrets we keep. If you're ready to begin your search for Sasquatch and learn to hunt monsters, Adventures in Cryptozoology is your guide. In these pages you'll find: Tales of mythical, extinct, and out-of-place creatures Hints about Bigfoot and other ape-men Tips for equipping your own cryptozoology adventure, including all the gear, field craft, and resources you'll need to record your findings You've read Cryptozoology A to Z, Expedition Unknown, or Chasing American Monsters? Then you'll want to read Adventures in Cryptozoology

Growing Up with Vampires is the first book to focus solely on the figure of the vampire in print, film, and other media specifically meant for pre-teen children. Whilst narratives about the undead are often considered suitable only for adults, there is a long history of their appearance in material meant for children. Although the essays in this collection mainly consider examples from Western culture in the 20th and 21st centuries they provide an important and accessible roadmap of when vampires became popular in children's media, how to explore the ways in which vampires are used, what they might symbolize, and what their ultimate meaning or significance might be. Vampires are never what they quite seem: in stories for children they are just as likely to be an expression of anxiety around change, growing up, aging and the unfamiliar as they are to be the new best friend who will make you realize just how special difference and individuality are. Growing Up with Vampires is an ideal introduction for those new to the topic and an invaluable resource to readers looking to gain further insight into vampires in/and children's media.

Things are hot and getting hotter... Escape into this delicious shifter romance from bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson. Oz Adway is a rare breed: an accountant who wants to get dirty. He's a werewolf working for the Interspecies Placement Agency so it's not long before he gets the opportunity to break out of his boring, safe office job. He volunteers to find runaway bear cub Sally Smalls, recently orphaned by a plane crash. Piece of cake, right? Unfortunately, Sally's taken refuge with "ordinary" human Lila Kai. Lila has no idea what's going on, but she'll destroy anyone who tries to take the cub. Oz is not about to let a human jeopardize his daring career move, no matter how attractive he finds her. Lila knows something's different about the sexy weirdo who keeps popping up in the wrong place at the right time. She's determined to figure out what, regardless of the escalating threats to her safety and Oz's distracting hotness. She didn't move into a cursed house and take in a werebear just to run when things get complicated. Together, Oz and Lila will prevail! But only if they can keep their hands off each other... Put away your pocket protectors: This hilarious story includes a nerdy shifter accountant with a bad-boy side, a fiercely protective human heroine, and a baby bear cub who will make every reader sigh in cuteness. Fans of Shelly Laurenston and paranormal adventure won't want to miss the newest installment in the BeWere My Heart series! "This hilarious, sizzling romance [is] perfect for fans of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series."-Publishers Weekly for Bears Behaving Badly "Davidson is in fine form with the over-the-top humor and outrageous situations that have made her a bestseller."-Booklist for Me, Myself, and Why

All over the world, there are tales of giant creatures that hide from human contact. Giant Anaconda and Other Cryptids: Fact or Fiction? presents evidence for the existence of several of these amazing animals, including the Sucuriju, a 50-foot-long snake from South America; the bloodthirsty Chupacabra, or "Goat Sucker," from Puerto Rico; the fierce lizard Megalania, Australia's gigantic cousin of the Komodo dragon; the thylacine, a carnivorous marsupial from Tasmania; the Thunderbird, a monstrous, child-snatching bird of prey from the United States; the Kongamato and Ropen, prehistoric flying reptiles from Africa and New Guinea; and the Ri, a mermaid-like creature inhabiting the waters of a tropical island paradise in the Pacific Ocean. The book allows readers to draw their own conclusions about the existence of these hidden giant creatures.